Would MS be better bailing out of Japan and focusing on the West?

[Zeus]

The Age indicates that it is time for Microsoft to pull the plug on the Xbox 360 in Japan following no real improvement in the state of play following a number of attempts. The Age believe it would be a much smarter move for MS to plough all their money and resources into supporting Japanese developers into making games for the West and stop wasting their money on trying to twist the arms of disinterested Japanese gamers.


In good news for Australians courtesy of our PAL affiliation with Europe, Mr Greenberg says: "Europe is our priority focus right now."

The inescapable fact is that Japan continues to all-but ignore the Xbox 360 despite a strong software line-up, an aggressively low price and an uncharacteristically slow start for Sony's PS3 in its home territory.

Microsoft would be much better ploughing all the money and resources spent on trying to woo disinterested Japanese punters into support for Japanese developers to continue to make games for the West.

Having the best Japanese developers create 360 games for the West (like Dead Rising, Resident Evil 5, Ninja Gaiden II, Devil May Cry 4, Pro Evolution 2008) is crucial, but it is time Microsoft accepts that Japanese gamers will never embrace a Western console and invest their money elsewhere.


News Source: <A href="http://blogs.theage.com.au/screenplay/archives/007422.html" target="_blank">theage.com.au</a>

[satel]

i would say yeah bcuz japs have high quality standards to fall for a defective console.

[Xenogears V]

i would say yeah bcuz japs have high quality standards to fall for a defective console.

:D:D:D:D:D Too funny, I love this sarcasm!.

[Jinx13378]

I'd say no.

Just for the sake of you PS3 users complaining.

[onyxx]

I'd say no.

Just for the sake of you PS3 users complaining.

Complaining because xbox is in japan?

[Jinx13378]

Complaining because xbox is in japan?

Correct. Every time Japan and 360 is mentioned in one sentence, the PS3 social movement goes all apeshit, posting comments about how they just researched the market and recommend Microsoft to quickly back-out of their beloved Sony capital.


edit:

I also want a couple of Japanese games on my 360, yes.

[sigma8]

I don't think pulling out of Japan would be a good idea for them. To hold onto some notion that the Japanese don't like non-Japanese consoles sounds ridiculous to me. There are plenty of non-Japanese companies that make a killing in Japan. If it hasn't been done with consoles yet, it's because nobody's done a good job.

I mean, think about it. For a good 15 years, you could have said that even the USA hated non-Japanese consoles. None of Atari's offerings (after the NES had come out) made a dent.. 3do failed. Phantom *cough* .. well.. yeah.. There were probably more attempts that barely registered and are so minor that either I can't remember them or maybe I never knew them.

But...to look at those facts and have concluded that America hates non-Japanese products would have been an incredibly stupid claim to make. I think it's the same issue in Japan. It's not that they hate American products, it's that American companies do a poor job marketing their stuff to japan.

Apple is obviously doing very well over there. Much to Sony's chagrin.

[Spnoz]

I think that if Microsoft want to attract many japanese developpers, it doesn't have a choice to stay in Japan. Even if the system isn't selling well, I think japanese companies value the importance of being able to sell to their fellow japanese consumers. Even if the product doesn't sell well because of the platform, at least, it is available to them.

I'm not sure that a japanese game company would create a game only for foreign markets without the ability to publish it on their homeland.

I may be wrong though.

[NewBeginning]

I would be pleased if they pulled out of Japan and focused more on North America and Europe. If Japan doesn't want it, it's their loss.